What to Do When Everyone Has Something To Say About Your Choices.

There are so many decisions to be made when you are expecting a baby. Where to have your baby, and which provider to choose. Cloth or disposable diapers. Crib or co-sleeper. Breast milk or formula. And, it is guaranteed that everyone will have something to say about it. 

This is the time when people are developed into parents. This is not the first time you will experience these kinds of pressures. It will happen again as you choose how to parent your child, which school you will send them to, what house rules you have. Now is the time to set yourself apart as a confident decision maker. How do you do this? Why, use your BRAIN, of course. You can use this prenatally, postnatally, or in your everyday life. I use this for things as simple as choosing between which restaurant we will go to for dinner. 

This is a common acronym used in the birth world:

B- What are the Benefits of choosing to do something, or not?

R-What are the Risks of choosing to do something, or not?

A-What are your Alternative options?

I-What does your INTUITION tell you? What is your gut feeling saying about doing something or not?

N-What happens Next if you choose to follow through with this, and what happens if you choose to do Nothing?

This little acronym may be your best friend as you navigate the world of being new parents. Really, I want to highlight that it is important, above all, to especially trust your INTUITION here. Your gut feeling can tell you so much if a decision is right for you or not. Pay attention to that little voice inside of you. It matters. Let it speak up. That is the first rule of good parenting. Listen to what your intuition is saying. It may not be right for others. It may not be something that your mother or mother in law did or didn't do. But it is right for you. That matters. You can be confident about that. 

Listen to your intuition in the birth process. Move where and how your body wants to move. Make noises like you feel so inclined to make. When you bring baby home. You can trust your intuition. It is there for a reason. 

People may not agree. They may not like what you have decided. But how can they argue with, "We thought about and researched our options, and this is what felt the most right for our family." Try it. 

I would love to hear other people's ideas on how they share with others the choices they make for their families.